


When The Lights Go Out

by ro_blaze



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bittersweet Ending, F/F, Fairy Tail Reverse Bang 2020, Supernatural Elements, Urban Fantasy, demon hunter erza and demon mira, minor gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:08:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26720419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ro_blaze/pseuds/ro_blaze
Summary: Erza Scarlet is a hunter of exceptional quality. Her technique – research, chase, eliminate – is simple yet effective. Failure isn’t an option. When fate brings her face to face with the feral demon terrorizing the woods of her childhood home, however, she finds out that she’d bitten a little bit more than she can chew.
Relationships: Erza Scarlet/Mirajane Strauss
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15
Collections: Fairy Tail Reverse Bang 2020





	When The Lights Go Out

**Author's Note:**

> this story was written for the 2020 fairy tail reverse big bang, hosted by [ftguildevents](https://ftguildevents.tumblr.com) on tumblr. 
> 
> you can check out the gorgeous art it was inspired by [here](https://lulupinnn.tumblr.com/post/630585650503155712/this-is-my-artwork-for-the-reverse-big-bang-hosted), made by the awesome [lulupinn](https://lulupinnn.tumblr.com/)!

The train ride ended abruptly, jolting Erza from her reverie and forcing her to cease her endless (and admittedly pointless) scrolling through social media. With a low sigh, she stood up from her seat and tucked her phone into the pocket of her coat, then grabbed her knapsack from the rack above her. Some minor crowd had gathered outside the train, but she saw no one waiting for her. The fact did not come as a surprise to her – she hadn’t warned anyone she’d be making the trip home.

Of course, what was the point of having a sprawling family line without coming up on them unannounced every once in a while?

The sun shone brightly down upon her as Erza slowly made her way out of the sparsely crowded Magnolia Train Station. The summer heat beat down on her, scorching as ever, and not for the first time she greatly appreciated her decision to cut her hair short. Where in her youth her scarlet mane fell all the way to her hips, now it ruffled comfortably just past her shoulder blades and it didn’t take much effort to grab the elastic she kept on her wrist and tie it back in a low ponytail.

Brilliant greenery greeted her wherever she looked. It was not without reason that Magnolia bore the name of the City of Flowers – the jewel of the Eastern Fiori Mountains, the sprawling settlement was home to rich history from Fiore’s ancient times and one of the most plentiful botanical gardens in the whole of Ishgar. The smell of fresh grass filled her senses as she made her way through the smaller, winding streets of the older portions of the city, following the old alleyways she knew better than the back of her hand.

A small cat passed over her feet and rubbed against the side of her leg. Erza smiled and knelt down, letting the little creature butt its tiny head against her palm, running her fingers through the smooth brown fur. 

“Hello, little one,” she greeted warmly, scratching the small feline’s ears. “How are you? The city treating you well?” 

The cats in this part of the city were street but not feral and tended to welcome all newcomers with a good dose of feline affection. Erza knew her community well – they took good care of their pawed friends, dogs and cats alike. The cat bit her finger affectionately, then padded away to probably return to its preferred sun spot. For a moment, she considered following it, then shook her head with amusement and turned around. Even after more than thirty years away in the heart of Crocus, it only took an hour or so for her instincts to return to her with a vengeance. 

Dragons and cats got along for one specific reason – both enjoyed bathing in the warm sun. It was no one surprise that the dragon district in Magnolia was swarming with supposed ‘street’ cats and other felines of all sorts. Back when she’d been a hatchling, Erza remembered that the person above her mother’s apartment had a pet cougar. 

After some time of quiet wandering around the dragon district, she managed to find a park to rest and plan. She had to admit, she’d acted a bit too impulsively even for herself, shoving her belongings into a bag and tearing through the quiet night of the capital in order to grab the night train to Magnolia. She needed a plan of action, a list of her targets and priorities. The morning sun shone down on her as she settled down in the soft green grass. The brown cat from before arrived not long after Erza had taken her notebook out of her knapsack and started writing.

The first order of business, of course, was food.

* * *

A small bakery on the corner of the street not too far from her childhood home was where her cousin elected to meet her. Erza, considering the fact she was quite hungry and running for more than a week without her favorite sugary treat, gladly agreed to the offer. 

“When was the last time you had a full night’s sleep?” Natsu asked her in lieu of a greeting, planting themself down on the chair opposite of her. 

“Hello to you too,” she greeted with a small but genuine smile. “I’m glad you could come out to see me.”

Dark eyes sparkled with mirth. Natsu waved to the waitress a few tables over — knowing them and their sweet tooth, Erza concluded they were probably a loyal patron of the establishment — before turning back to her. With a practiced dramatic gesture, they leaned their face on their cupped hands.

“Always for you, my most favorite cousin,” they said with a grin. 

“Don’t let Wendy hear you say that.”

“I said *cousin*. Not cousin by marriage. Wendy is everyone’s favorite.” Natsu waved their hand. “What brings the illustrious Erza Scarlet back to the nest? Don’t say you missed me. We see each other every time I come to the capital for work.”

“That much is true,” Erza agreed with a gentle incline of her head. She’d genuinely forgotten just how entertaining just hanging out with her little cousin felt. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t get to miss you. We grew up together. Don’t you miss me?”

Natsu’s face grew warm, now closely resembling the color of their hair, and she had to contain a peal of laughter. She couldn’t remember the last time she'd laughed. Life in the capital was nothing short of difficult and the rare chance of having a day off was usually spent trying to catch up with her roommate Cana and somehow keep their shared apartment in a presentable way as to not have their incredibly unpleasant landowner kick them out. 

She hadn’t had a true laugh in a while.

“Of course I do,” they muttered, their hands fiddling with their scarf. “You are such a pest.”

“Mated life seems to be treating you well,” Erza teased, not to be left behind.

It brought her some genuine joy to make them blush and stutter. At last Erza took some mercy on her beloved little cousin and ordered them both some sweet treats to pass the time with. The waitress, a petite faerie with wild sky-kissed hair, brought them both their desserts — some sort of chocolate monstrosity for Natsu and a gorgeous strawberry cheesecake for Erza. 

“So,” Natsu asked in between stuffing their face with chocolate, “where are you gonna stay while you are here?”

Erza hummed, licking some cream from her spoon. 

“I was actually hoping I could stay with you,” she said quietly. “If it’s not going to be a problem, of course. I have no wish to intrude upon your... marital harmony, if you will.”

Natsu laughed. 

“Are you kidding me? It’s gonna be awesome! Just like the old times!” They leaned back into their chair and crunched hard on a piece of chocolate. “Gajeel’s gonna be happy to have someone else to boss around at home.”

“What a joy,” Erza muttered dryly, masking her amusement with a roll of her eyes. “Is he going to goad again?”

“Mhm. Don’t think he’s even gonna stop. It’s kinda cute, actually.”

“You are only saying that because you are mated.” 

“It was cute even before we mated. You are just jealous because I’m happily in love and you aren’t. Don’t get me wrong, being single ain’t bad,” Natsu added as if she would ever be insulted by something they said, “but having somebody to cuddle with in bed is very nice. Everyone needs affection from time to time.”

“... Cana and I cuddle sometimes,” she tried to amend. 

“When you happen to pass out from exhaustion at the same time?”

Mildly annoyed, Erza flicked a strawberry at them.

* * *

“This place doesn’t look like a demon hangout to me...”

The bar — if it even could be called a bar, really, for the well-lit and nicely furnished place reminded Erza more of a mid-quality restaurant than anything remotely dark and shady — stood in the outskirts of downtown Magnolia. Manned by a pair of goat-horned guards, the entrance faced towards the street. Many creatures, most but not all of them humanoid, milled around the area, chatting with each other and waiting to be admitted inside. 

“It’s their usual swarming nest,” Gajeel said with a shrug of his shoulders. “Weren’t you the one who taught me to not judge the book by its cover?”

Erza barely resisted rolling her eyes. She was decidedly not used to looking up at people — even among the tall dragonkin her height was considerably above the average, but while Natsu was on the extremely short side, Gajeel stood a couple of inches taller than her. In their youth, he’d made it a one-sided competition to see which of them would grow taller. And... even though Erza had never cared for it (and probably never would), it was nevertheless amusing to watch him strut around like a peafowl. 

“I suppose my head carries too much wisdom for your chicken-brain to handle, dear cousin,” Erza bit back. She couldn’t hide her grin when he grit his teeth and even chuckled when he reached to elbow her. “Getting childish tonight, aren’t we?”

“Simply following your lead.”

They stopped their back and forth bickering for a moment while the bouncers opened the establishment’s doors to let them inside. The interior was no different from the exterior — tasteful arrangement, soft lights strategically placed to ensure both comfort and privacy of the patrons, light music. A plethora of smells, most of which pleasurable, gently tickled her senses, urging Erza to relax at least outwardly. 

There was still plenty of free space around the bar and it didn’t take too long for the two dragons to locate a satisfying spot to sit at. A small stage was erected against the wall opposite of the bar, where a demon lady with long, sleek black hair was reciting poetry. The beautiful music complemented her recital. Whoever had come up with the concept of this place deserved praise — despite her earlier reservations and her general dislike of demonkind born out of her profession of choice, Erza was forced to admit she was enjoying herself. 

The demon poetess stood up from her chair and curtsied to the audience, somehow not toppling over from the sheer weight of her horns. The lights dimmed down while another goat-like demon, not unlike the bouncers in appearance, carried a sleek piano on stage and deposited it with surprising care. The murmur died down, all people looking towards the stage as another demoness took a seat in front of the piano, brushing her mass of silver-white hair behind her shoulders.

“Why is everyone so quiet of sudden?” Erza whispered in draconic, lightly stirring her drink.

Gajeel gave her a smirk over the rim of his glass.

“You’re gonna see. Just watch.”

The demoness arranged herself in front of the grand piano, lightly cracking her clawed fingers and shifting the liquid silk of her dress around her long, long legs. Once satisfied with her appearance, she turned her head to address the audience. Erza felt something squeeze tightly around her neck at the sight of that gorgeous smile, of those full red lips.

“My name is Mirajane,” the silver-haired demoness spoke softly, her voice warm and soft like honey, “although many of you already know that. Thank you for coming to see me tonight.”

And with another brilliant smile, she turned her head and gently pressed her fingers to the piano keys. 

* * *

“A feral sighting, you say?”

“Yes.” Erza leaned forward and spread out the handful of photos the agency had managed to supply her with over the already overflowing work desk. “In the woods just north of the Lakebed Temple. Do you have any information about what kind of creature could have caused this?”

Kyoka, the co-owner of the establishment and (apparently) wife of the demon poetess Seilah, gave out an unamused snort. A bird demon of awe-striking stature, she seemed decidedly annoyed by the fact Erza had marched into her office during work hours and demanded answers about something she probably knew nothing about.

Then again, Erza hadn’t become the best hunter in the business by being polite and cordial.

“There are many breeds that are capable of doing something of this caliber,” Kyoka said with a huff, blowing some of her feathered hair from her face. One talon tapped the center of the left-most picture. “But this is magical damage, not a physical one. You will have better luck hunting down the signature than trying to figure out the exact species that caused these specific claw marks.”

“But perhaps we can offer you some resources,” Mard, the manager and second co-owner, suggested in his smooth, velvety voice. 

Like most of the demons Erza met in her day to day life, Mard preferred a human shape, with his tapered ears and the occasional red sparkle of his otherwise dark eyes the only things betraying his true nature. Next to his work partner and her notable height, he looked quite unthreatening. Yet… The sheer power radiating from him would make ever the worst sensor freeze for a moment. 

He was a force to be reckoned with, that demon.

“I will be very thankful if you could do that, yes,” Erza said with a gentle incline of her head. “I will make sure to mention your assistance in my report once I’m done cleaning this mess. The agency appreciates good people like you. People who think of the betterment of our society.”

“As if we would want any association with your gang of filthy hunters,” Kyoka sneered, looking down at her with palpable disdain. For a moment, her gaze softened. “Save yourself the grief, girl, and leave that accursed place as soon as you can.”

“Kyoka,” Mard hissed, making the bird-woman snap in surprise. “It’s not our place to force our own heavily biased opinions down agent Scarlet’s throat.”

Kyoka sent her business partner a glare, her eyes narrowing, but said nothing more. Erza watched them for a moment longer, unsure if she was to be amused or mildly terrified by the way these supposed colleagues interracted. Then again… it was not her place to judge how people led their lives, was it now?

Almost an hour later, as she made her out of the bar with some old books on demonology and magic signature research, Erza caught the sight of a silver-white shadow moving through the corridors.

* * *

In her youth, back when she was nothing but a curious hatchling with a penchant for getting into mischief that seemed to be shared with all other children in the dragon district, Erza used to sneak into the woods. Almost every week she’d be playing hide and seek with one of her many cousins and generally giving her mother a headache just as every proper child would do. She’d always liked playing the seeker — the sensation of chasing down her friends brought a rare sort of excitement to life in her blood.

The woods were quiet as she stalked through them, making her way through the lush greenery. Far in the distance, the crystal waters of Magnolia Lake glimmered under the setting sun. On the eastern horizon, the first stars were already rising and the night of the new moon gave a perfect opportunity to the ones who wished to watch them.

As it happened, the new moon was perfect for hunting as well.

It did not take long for her to arrive at the scene of carnage. The corpse of a forest guardian laid partially under the knocked over truck of a great oak tree, its silvery blood long dried as it dripped from its torn flanks and decapitated neck. The head of the once majestic beast was kicked over the opposite side of the small clearing, its horns broken and shattered into pieces, its lower jaw almost separate from the rest of the skull. Had Erza not grown used to such sights of utter debauchery, she might have thrown up. She still couldn’t shake off the nausea, even as she walked past the first corpse and further into the woods.

The deeper she went, the darker the sky above her became, and soon she could barely see the flickering stars through the thick canopy of the trees. Magic glimmered somewhere in the heart of the forest, brilliant and white-hot. The taste of copper clung to the back of her mouth as she followed the intoxicating trail. Soon, she was choking on it, her nostrils flaring, her hair rising up as electricity sparkled through her system. 

In the very center of the forest, sitting in front of a hollowed-out Heart tree, a demoness with silver-white hair and a bloody smile looked up at her, icy blue eyes shining with amusement.

“Agent Scarlet. Fancy seeing you here. Have you come to dance with me?” 

* * *

Hunting someone when they made no attempt to run gave the hunter no pleasure and Mirajane barely moved as Erza appraised her from the shadows. Every night, she’d slip away from the nest and make her way to the woods. Every night, she’d find the silver demoness sitting in the dead grass and gazing up at the ink-black sky with her laughing eyes. 

Every night, she’d sharpen her knives only to never use them.

“You should start bringing a coat with you when you come,” Mirajane said instead of a greeting on the seventeenth night, not even looking up from where she was fiddling with something in her lap. “It gets cold.”

“Dragons don’t feel cold,” Erza said in return as she took her seat next to the demon. “And even if we did, why would you care?”

“Because you are my friend.”

“We are not friends,” Erza gritted out.

“Are we not?” Mirajane finally stopped her focused work — weaving something, it seemed — to meet her eyes. “Tell me, have you not spent every night for the past week and a half in my company?”

“That doesn’t count— ”

“Have you not come to visit me at work?”

“That’s only because you— ”

“Have you not brought me a packed lunch once— ”

“You forget to eat!” Erza insisted, her cheek flushed in a color that matched her scales.

Mirajane’s grin widened, sharp fangs peaking over blood-red lips.

“Have you not desired to kiss me, my dear?” she asked, her voice dipping into a low coo as claw-tipped fingers reaching to brush a lock of scarlet hair from her cheek.

The smell of her — vanilla and blood — almost sent Erza reeling with its richness.

“What does my hypothetical desire to kiss you have to do with us being friends?” she asked, her fingers digging into the dead grass around them.

“You are not denying it.”

“I do not lie.”

Mirajane laughed — a sound as gorgeous as it was terrifying, bitter yet so, _so_ sweet. Her whole frame shook with the motion, her breath coming heavy and ragged. A tear trickled down the perfect curve of her cheek. Erza couldn’t help but stare at this horrible, ethereal creature in complete awe, a smile tugging on the corners of her mouth even as she tried to fight it.

“You are adorable, agent Scarlet,” Mirajane managed to get out in-between her laughter-induced shaking. “May the Goddesses preserve me, how much I wish I could keep you.”

_You and me both._

* * *

Days turned into weeks and weeks grew into months and still, Erza hung around. Her inbox grew with more emails from her superior, asking for reports and updates. All emails stood unopened, to the point she just stopped checking her account.

Then, they started sending _letters_.

“Are you sure everything is going alright?” Natsu asked her one fine morning when they found her setting a dozen or so of the untouched letters on fire. 

“Absolutely.” Erza blew the ashes away and watched the flames dance with the wind. “What are we having for lunch today?”

* * *

“A squad of agents arrived in Magnolia today,” was what Mirajane greeted her with when Erza arrived at their usual meeting place, the full moon bright above them.

“I am aware.”

“And you did not tell me?”

“I figured you will find out by yourself. Which, by the way, you did.”

“Do not play coy with me, Erza.” Mirajane glared at her, her icy eyes decidedly violent. Then, she let out a deep sigh and as if deflated, wrapping her arms around herself. “I don’t know what to do.”

“What are we supposed to do?” Erza asked as she gathered the demoness in her arms. “What do you expect me to do? Just hand you over?”

“I’m not your property, for you to hand me over as you like.” Still, Mira did not pull away. Warm breath caressed her neck, claw-tipped fingers stroking her arms. “I don’t expect anything from you. I never did.”

Erza wanted to argue, but bit her tongue instead as the truth settled heavily on her shoulders. She’d known it would turn out so. Since the very day this cursed game of cat and mouse began, she’d known a happy ending was not what Fate had in store for them — and she knew that Mira knew it too. 

“But I did,” Erza answered with a sad laugh. She reached out to stroke the cheek of this beautiful, horrifying creature. “Will you remember me?”

“Oh, my dear.” Blood-red lips pressed to hers, the taste of vanilla and copper clinging to the inside of her mouth. “I will never stop missing you.”

* * *

The next time Erza walked into the small bar in downtown Magnolia, there was no silver-haired nightingale to welcome her, no sweet voice to sing for her. 

And maybe one day, she could learn to live with it.

**Author's Note:**

> stay safe everyone! if you want, you can come find me on my twitter [monnydoesart](https://twitter.com/MonnyRancheva), where i post art and the occasional zelda-related shitpost


End file.
